This change comes a week before the deadline for most Marylanders to get benefits by the new year. It's supposed to help people who have been dropped from their plans, but one health provider in Maryland said it could have unintended consequences.

Because of the Affordable Care Act's rules governing what a health plan needs to include, nine health providers are dropping plans for 73,000 Marylanders.

But instead of charging them a fine for not signing up for new coverage under the ACA, the federal government is now offering what's called a "hardship exemption," and if they want to, those dropped can buy catastrophic insurance with cheap, bare-bones coverage.

"So all told, millions of Americans, despite the problems with the website, are now poised to be covered by quality, affordable health insurance come New Year's Day," President Barack Obama said Friday.

Peter Beilenson, who runs one of the health providers on the Maryland exchange, said he's concerned that this last-minute rule change sends the wrong message.

"The concern is that some people will see this and say, 'I don't have to get coverage, particularly if I'm healthy,' which does two things: One, healthy people do get sick or get injured and so they'll be uninsured and have potential financial consequences, and secondly, if these are healthy people deciding not to sign up, that's healthy people out of the pool who are necessary to make the Affordable Care Act work correctly," Beilenson said.

The new rule caused confusion at a Silver Spring signup center, where workers tried to make sense of the last-minute change.

"It can be challenging as different parts of the law change on a weekly basis or sometimes even on a daily basis," said Mary Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.

On Friday, state officials said about 7,400 people have enrolled in benefits via MarylandHealthConnection.gov. If you include Medicaid pre-enrollments, 117,000 people are at least on track to have coverage by Jan. 1.

The governor wouldn't say he's pleased with the current numbers.

"I'm pleased with the progress we're making. None of us is pleased yet with the level of functionality. There are still a number of glitches, a lot of problems, a lot of rough spots," Gov. Martin O'Malley said.

O'Malley said Friday that in light of the ongoing glitches with the Maryland website, there may be a time when the state decides to switch over operations to the federal website.

IT MOVES FORWARD WITH OBAMA CARE. THE PRESIDENT ALSO TOOK QUESTIONS ABILITY WHAT SOME DESCRIBE AS AN 11TH HOUR RULE CHANGE WITH THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT THAT COULD AFFECT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. GEORGE IS LIVE IN THE STUDIO WITH DETAILS ON THAT. THIS CHANGE COMES ONE WEEK BEFORE THE DEADLINE FOR MOST PEOPLE TO GET BENEFITS BY THE NEW YEAR. IT'S SUPPOSED TO HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN NOW DROPPED BY THEIR PLANS BUT IT COULD HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. BECAUSE OF WHAT THE RULES ARE ABOUT WHAT A PLAN SHOULD INCLUDE. NINE PROVIDERS ARE DROPPING PEOPLE OF PLANS THAT DON'T MEET THAT. THOSE DROPPED CAN BUY CATASTROPHIC INSURANCE, ALL TOLD MILLIONS OF AMERICANS, DESPITE THE PROBLEMS WITH THE WEBSITE ARE NOW POISED TO BE COVERED BY QUALITY AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE COME NEW YEAR'S DAY. PETER RUNS ONE OF THE PROVIDERS ON THE MARYLAND EXCHANGE. HE'S CONCERNED THIS LAST MINUTE RULE CHANGE SEPPEDS THE WRONG MESSAGE. SOME PEOPLE WILL SEE THIS AND SAY I DON'T HAVE TO GET COVERAGE PARTICULARLY IF I'M HEALTHY WHICH DOES TWO THINGS. PEOPLE WILL BE UNINSURED AND IF THESE ARE HEALTHY PEOPLE NOT SIGNING UP THAT IS HEALTHY PEOPLE OUT OF THE POOL THAT ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE IT WORK CORRECTLY. THE NEW RULE CAUSES CONFUSION AT A SIGNUP CENTER WHERE WORKERS TRIED TO MAKE SENSE OF THE LAST MINUTE CHANGE. IT CAN BE CHALLENGING AS DIFFERENT PARLTS OF THE LAW CHANGE ON A WEEKLY OR DAILY BASIS. THE HEALTH EXCHANGE SAID 7400 PEOPLE HAVE ENROLLED IN BENEFITS. IF YOU INCLUDE MEDICAID PREENROLLMENT IT IS EXCHANGE SAYS 117,000 PEOPLE ARE AT LEAST ON TRACK TO HAVE COVERAGE BY JANUARY 1. TODAY THE GOVERNOR WOULD NOT SAY HE'S PLEASED WITH THE CUNCHT NUMBERS. I'M PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING. NONE OF US ARE PLEASED YET WITH THE LEVEL OF FUNCTION NALT. THERE IS STILL A LOT OF GLITCHES AND PROBLEMS. AND TODAY THE GOVERNOR SAID IN LIGHT OF THE ONGOING GLITCHES WITH THE MARYLAND WEBSITE THERE MAY BE A TIME WHEN THE STATE DECIDES TO SWITCH OVER OPERATIONS TO THE FEDERAL